Strawberry Wine
by marisa lee
Summary: That typical AU where the city girl finds herself smack in the middle of a farm, falling for the country boy. Mostly blues.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there all you lovely people. Don't hate me for not updating Before Again. I'll get to it, I promise. In the meantime, I'm so evil and irresponsible that I wrote this thing for you. I hope you all like it. Just a few notes before I go on though:**

**- The title comes from a country song called _Strawberry Wine_, by Deana Carter. Listen to it if you want—it's a beautiful song. **

**- In the beginning of this story, Blossom is twenty four, Buttercup is twenty, and Bubbles is seventeen. (The boys are one year older than each of them.)**

**- The girls are sisters, but the boys aren't related to each other at all.**

**- Any OOC-ness was done on purpose, and if you don't like it, don't read it. Thanks. c:**

**- This story will be eight (possibly nine, depending) chapters long.**

**- And as always, I don't own the PPG or the RRB. ****_But if I did_****...**

**Anyways, let me know what you all think!**

**xoxo -ml**

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**Prologue**

"No, Daddy, I absolutely _refuse_ to go!"

John Utonium was almost one hundred percent positive that everyone in the state of Illinois could hear his daughter's screeches of protest. It was a lovely Thursday afternoon in the city; the sun was shining down on his little girl's beautiful golden curls, shimmering in the light and flowing slightly in the wind. A simple baby blue sundress covered her shoulders and gracefully accented her straight, slim features and long, creamy white legs. Silver rings and pendants on her wrists, fingers and around her long neck glistened and shone in the late light, creating a soft tinkling noise when they touched. She crossed her arms across her chest firmly and stamped her clean white Keds in absolute refusal of her father's plan. If there was one thing anyone knew about Bubbles Utonium (besides the fact that she was a state-wide volleyball champion and all-around spoiled brat) it was that she was as stubborn as a mule and as feisty as a wild horse. It was going to take a lot of effort to get her to agree to his pleas.

"Please, Bubbles," John begged his daughter, "your sisters both spent time with your grandfather when they were your age, and now it's your turn to visit him for a while."

She let out another groan. "But Daddy, Blossom and Buttercup went to see Papa at the same time, and they only stayed for the weekend!"

He sighed. "I know that, honey, but they're both out of town now and I don't have anyone to send with you, and I told you; I've got to head out on a business trip and I figured it would just be simpler if you stayed with Papa all week."

Bubbles said nothing. She stuck her bottom lip out in a serious pout and widened her eyes at her father, hoping he would reconsider sending her away by the look on her pretty little face.

"Bubbles, you're seventeen now, I can't believe you still expect the puppy dog eyes to work on me."

She groaned and collapsed into the patio chair opposite her father on the backyard deck, making sure to stay hidden from the direct rays of the sun. The pout remained dominant on her lips but she didn't look at him.

"It will be fun, I promise," John said at last, knowing he'd finally made his point. He took a sip of his glass of gin and grinned at her. "Even Blossom had fun, and you know how she is."

"She was engaged, Daddy," Bubbles muttered. "You could have taken her swamp diving and she would have had fun."

John shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He preferred to skim over the topic of his eldest daughter's early engagement. She had been only eighteen when she came home with her boyfriend's shiny new haircut and a shiny new ring. The haircut had pleased John at first, for he had been begging the boy to shave his shoulder-length auburn locks for as long as they'd been dating. But when he'd found out about the reasoning behind his new style, he'd been outraged. Nevertheless, he couldn't say no to his eldest, most flawless daughter, so within the next year she was happily married to the boy of her dreams—all too quickly for her father's taste. Five years later, and Buttercup was following in her footsteps before John could wave a hand.

Now Blossom was twenty-four with a baby on the way, and Buttercup was at the delicate age of twenty, engaged to be married in roughly a year. That's why he kept such a close reign on his youngest, most precious gem. He didn't want to lose her as quickly as he'd lost the other two.

"Papa looks forward to seeing you." John added with uneasiness in his voice.

"Papa doesn't even know who I am," she whined. "The last time he saw me I was still in diapers."

"It's only for a week, dear, you'll be fine. Besides, you've got Pepper to keep you company."

Pepper was Bubbles' favourite companion, a two-year-old cocker spaniel with a beautiful black-and-white coat of fur. They were the best of friends, and Bubbles surely would never have made it through the week had Pepper not been allowed to suffer through with her.

"I just hope they have a shopping mall," Bubbles mumbled under her breath. John rolled his eyes and swallowed the remains of his gin. He figured it'd be better not to reply, both with the knowledge that she'd continue the argument for at least another hour as well as the fact that indeed, there were no shopping malls near Papa's town in Western Kentucky.

There wasn't much arguing left to do about the matter. Bubbles was going to live with her grandfather for a week, and there was nothing she could do about it.

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Pepper wasn't the best with long car rides. Most dogs would just stick their heads out the open window and enjoy the wind in their fur. But Pepper wasn't most dogs. Every hour or so they had to stop and let Pepper out for fear she'd soil John's nice leather seats. She was hyperactive and restless, and it was pretty safe to say she was quite excited for the trip.

"At least that makes one of us," Bubbles muttered under her breath as Pepper hopped over her knees again.

"What was that, sweetheart?" John asked distractedly, trying to figure out just how to work the GPS in his hands.

She sighed. "Nothing, Daddy."

Lifting her puppy off her lap and all but tossing her into the backseat, Bubbles turned her gaze towards the slightly open window. She had to tap the window button just a bit to make sure the wind wouldn't muss up her perfect golden curls.

The scenery outside her window was less than interesting to the teenager. It was all fields of grass and animals as far as the eye could see. The sun beat down on the little black corvette and she shifted her hot pink sunglasses on her nose. Her eyes followed the rolling hills as they tumbled gracefully along; up and down, up and down like a carousel ride. At a distance, the grazing cattle looked like tiny black and white ants on the fields, shuffling along their wide, free expanses. Tiny red-and-white houses bobbed above the sea of green like lonesome buoys in an ocean. Aside from the occasional gas station or market, there were no significant landmarks anywhere.

And she didn't see any shopping malls.

Just when she thought she would be traveling with her father and Pepper until they were stranded in the middle of nowhere, John nudged her shoulder and she pulled one of her earbuds from her ear.

"Look," he said excitedly, pointing to a sign that read 'Welcome to Kentucky!'

Bubbles jerked in her seat, eyes fixated not on the welcome sign, but the advertisement for the gigantic outlet mall directly behind it.

"About ten minutes until we get there, okay love?" her father said softly, breezing right past the exit for the mall without a second glance.

Bubbles sunk back into her seat with a huffy pout. John pretended not to notice. Pepper hopped excitedly over the middle console between the two front seats and started lapping fiercely at Bubbles' cheeks.

"Pepper, stop," Bubbles scolded softly. She gently shoved the puppy's face away from her own, swiping at her now damp cheeks.

"We'll be there very soon, Pepper, can it wait?" John asked the pup frantically.

"Daddy, you know how Pepper is. She doesn't know how to wait."

With a heavy sigh, John pulled over to the side of the dirt road they had been traveling down and parked the car.

"Make it quick, huh?" he muttered, half to Pepper, half to Bubbles. She nodded and clipped Pepper's leash onto her collar before opening the door.

Pepper leapt out of the car and dragged Bubbles behind her down the dirt road. The puppy hopped up and down, happily sniffing everything she could get her nose on. As Pepper stopped to do her business, Bubbles removed her sunglasses, ran a hand through her long blonde curls and glanced back to her father, who was studying the GPS again as if it were speaking to him in Japanese. She rolled her eyes and took a look around.

Just up either side of the road was yet another, familiar grassy field. Pepper seemed to be enjoying herself now that her bladder had been taken care of, bounding in and out of the tall grasses near the road.

"Pepper," Bubbles called, tugging on the leash. "Come on, you're getting all dirty."

"Bubs, come look," her father's voice called from the car window. Bubbles tugged on Pepper's leash again and the puppy reluctantly followed.

"What?" she asked uninterestedly.

"These are Papa's fields." He gestured to the tall grasses that Pepper had just done her business in.

Bubbles raised an eyebrow. "Fascinating," she droned, trying to sound enthusiastic. She failed.

"Come on honey, the house is just up the road."

"Can we walk, Daddy?" she asked. "My legs are stiff from sitting in the car."

His unsure look only wavered when both his daughter and her pet gave him the puppy dog eyes. He was outnumbered.

"Alright, but stay close to the car."

Pepper seemed to sense the agreement in John's voice, for as soon as he'd spoken she leapt into the air with an eccentric yelp.

Bubbles followed her puppy's lead down the road towards a driveway appearing in the distance, her father following slowly behind in his corvette. As they walked on in silence, Bubbles observed the tall silo rising above the hills in the distance, as well as the tiny farmhouse she prayed to God she wouldn't be living in.

Stepping out of the way to let her father pull up the long drive, she couldn't help the small gasp that escaped her lips at the sight before her.

The long, winding dirt drive seemed to carry on forever, rolling over the hills and stretching into the setting sun on the horizon. Just before it ended where the sky kissed the land, a gigantic house—if you could call it a house—loomed at the top of the hill.

Beautiful, country-style architecture accented the tan-and-white exterior of the building, with white windowpanes and doors that nearly flew off the walls contrasting the dark, old bricks.

It was nearly evening, and warm yellow light shone through a few of the millions of windows, inviting her inside. A homely white picket fence surrounded the expanse of the house, not definitely enclosing anything per se, but in fact keeping the roaming animals _out._

It was then that Bubbles actually noticed the animals. There must have been hundreds of them, many grazing merely a few feet away from her as she continued up the drive, with only that small white picket between them. Pepper sniffed curiously at the fence, and Bubbles tugged her away.

"Keep away from there, Pepper," she told her pet. "It's dirty."

After what felt like a trillion miles of walking, Bubbles finally saw her father's car pull to a stop up in front of the gigantic garage. The sun disappeared behind the hills all at once, and in the blink of an eye the sky faded to dark blue and about two million flecks of light littered the expanse of the sky like freckles. Even Pepper stared up at them in awe, her hyperactive bounce stalled if only for a moment, watching as some invisible force poked holes in the endless blue curtain.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

The voice nearly startled Bubbles right out of her skin. She gave a shriek, causing Pepper to bark in alarm.

The voice chuckled, "Sorry miss, didn't mean to scare you."

Her wide blue eyes fell on a young man a few yards away. In the twilight, she could tell that the boy had soft, dirty blonde waves of hair on his head as well as deep, sparkling blue eyes. And he was built. Not just your average, he-probably-goes-to-the-gym-every-once-in-a-while built, but a very impressive farm-boy he-milks-cows-for-a-living built. That much she could easily tell, for he wore only a pair of torn up jeans and two very old-looking cowboy boots. A sand-coloured cowboy hat was placed casually atop his head, as if he'd only added it as a last minute thought. His bare chest was exposed, and as any girl in the world would have, Bubbles found her gaze trailing down the expanse of his body. His arms were toned, his chest tan and perfect as if sculpted by the angels themselves.

It was about thirty seconds before Bubbles realized she'd been staring. Her cheeks flushed pink and she stuck her chin in the air.

"You really oughtn't sneak up on people like that," she said with a step towards the house. She watched her father struggle with her suitcases and quickly decided that she'd rather stay and talk to the farm boy than help with her luggage.

The boy's nose crinkled at the word 'oughtn't'. "You're not from 'round here, are ya?" he noticed with a pointed look at her outfit—a short white sundress with a white sash around the middle, tying into a bow at the back.

"No," she answered him, standing straighter and tugging Pepper out of some bushes. "I'm here visiting my grandfather."

"Well miss, I hope ya stay a while. Who's your Papa?"

His chivalry made her breath momentarily catch in her throat.

"His name is Clement. Clement Utonium."

"Ah, so you're a Utonium." He adjusted the hat on his head and ran a hand through his hair. "Pretty much famous 'round these parts. I reckon the whole state of Kentucky knows yer kin."

"They do?" she was surprised. Her mature facade fell for a fraction of a second before she regained herself. "I mean, yes, of course, my father's very rich."

The boy seemed to consider this for a moment, as if making a decision whether he should continue talking to this foreigner or not. The falter was only for a second, though, and a friendly grin immediately replaced his puzzled expression.

"Well. I hope ya enjoy yourself here. My name's Boomer." He held out his hand as if expecting her to shake. She eyed the extended limb with suspicious eyes before taking it lightly. Her small, soft hand disappeared into his large, calloused one.

"Bubbles."

He tipped his hat to her as their hands disconnected. "S'a pleasure, miss Bubbles."

"The pleasure is mine," she said slowly; hesitantly. Her face still held the same confused, curious look. Pepper let out another eager yelp, yanking on her leash when John Utonium's call sounded from the front porch of the house.

"Bubbles, come on honey, it's getting dark out."

Bubbles turned to wave at the farm boy, but Boomer had disappeared. Just like that, he was gone. She scrunched up her nose and huffed away towards the house. These country folk sure were odd.

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_I like reviews :)_


	2. Chapter 2

**You can't spell "procrastination" without "marisa lee" I swear.**

**Here, have a thing.**

**I don't own anything except my undying love for you people. :)**

**Enjoy!**

**xoxo -ml**

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There wasn't much Bubbles remembered about her Papa Clement, but everything she did remember about him was exactly the same. He was everything about the definition of a typical farmer man and even more. As soon as she walked through the door she could tell he had dedicated his entire life to the farm.

Clement had long, brownish-grey shaggy hair that he held in place with a single hair tie behind his ears, a hat similar to Boomer's placed comfortably atop his head. He wore the typical farmer attire, a blue flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled carelessly up to the elbows, overalls and a pair of brown leather cowboy boots. Clement was often seen smiling, but even when he wasn't, his bright, clear grey eyes did it for him. His accent was heavy and lively, and it mesmerized Bubbles into stunned silence.

"Well I'll be darned, this cain't be my little Bubbles all grown-up'n ladylike!" Clement gushed as he pulled Bubbles into a backbreaking hug.

She smiled politely and glanced at her father, who winked at her.

"It is, Papa," she replied, nodding somewhat eagerly at her grandfather.

Clement whistled low and clicked his tongue. "Hard t'believe last time I saw you, you were knee-high to a grasshopper, now just look atchya! Yer cute as a bug's ear!"

He took her by the hand and playfully twirled her under his arm. She giggled. Her white sundress billowed around her knees like a flower petal as she spun.

"Cain't tell ya how much a relief it is t'have a lady 'round here after all this male bonding we've been havin'."

"Male bonding, Papa?" Bubbles said curiously, fluffing the back of her hair where her grandfather had ruffled it up.

She missed the knowing glance that went between Clement and John, though Clement kept his grin and nodded.

"Well, ya see Bubbles, I'm an old man, I ain't gon' stay this active forever." He put a hand on her shoulder and led her into the enormous kitchen. John trailed behind, eyeing the decor to be sure nothing had changed too much since his childhood. "I had t'find somebody t'take care of the farm after I'm gone—D'ya like iced tea? Have a seat, darlin'," he added to Bubbles, who nodded with a smile and did so in a tall barstool at the island counter. Clement shuffled towards the refrigerator and pulled out a tall pitcher of the cool drink. Taking three glasses out of the cupboard, he swiftly poured the drinks and distributed them to Bubbles, her father and himself. As he served, he talked. He was addressing her father, but Bubbles could tell he wanted her to hear it, too.

"I put out'n ad in the county paper, John. Waited a week'n there were more applications than there are grey hairs on my head. Seems everybody and their uncle wants to work on the legendary Utonium farm." He chuckled and looked into Bubbbles' eyes. "Guess it's 'cuz near e'rybody 'round here knows we're high cotton'n all. 'Course choosin' my help was a task in itself." She nodded, as now it seemed as though he was speaking directly to her. "Took a lot outta me, but I finally decided on six of 'em. The twins, Kyle and Mack, work the stable with the horses. Darien takes care o'the cattle 'long with Wilder—they're these two huge, ornery fellas who don't take no for an answer. Then ya got Harley, he's kinda an uppity yankee but he's handier'n a pocket on a shirt. Him'n Boomer take care of everything else t'be done. Boomer's gettin' ready fer college this autumn I guess, he's workin' outta town all the way from Michigan since he'll be comin' down here fer school'n all. Had to let 'im stay with me here 'til he finds himself a place. I reckon y'all already met 'im, though, he's always around."

Bubbles found herself quite disappointed in her grandfather's lack of further explanation about the Boomer character. Clement seemed quite eager to describe his team to her father, who simply sipped his tea under a furrowed brow as the list went on.

"Since last April it's just bin the seven of us, workin' our asses off near evr'y day." Clement winked at Bubbles again and she laughed politely, unfamiliar with her grandfather's vulgar language. Her father never used such terms, and though John gave Clement a disconcerted look, she was begging him in secret to say it again.

"Well I'm glad you finally found people to help you around here," John commented, steering the conversation away from the swear words—if only for a moment. "Have you given any thought to the final inheritance?"

"Bah, I ain't thinkin' 'bout that shit yet, Johnny. I'm still young!" He laughed at his own joke and John's face flushed red at his language yet again. "'Sides, I know you'll take care'a things if I wake up dead tomorrow mornin'." He turned again to Bubbles and shook off her slightly alarmed, slightly bemused look. "I'll introduce ya to the boys in the mornin'. I'm sure ya got an itchn' t'meet 'em!"—again, he ignored John's warning glance—"Your daddy took yer bags t'yer room, ya shouldn't have any trouble gettin' to 'em. Jus' right 'round the corner there, down the hall'n t'yer right. Go on'n take yer tea in there'n check her out."

Bubbles nodded and followed her grandfather's instructions, allowing the two men their private conversation. Her room was a small, surprisingly cozy little guest room that she assumed her sisters had stayed in last time they were here, because it had two twin beds set parallel to each other against the back wall facing the window. The room had a clean, white atmosphere about it, white wicker and wood accents making it seem even brighter. Between the beds was a light wood nightstand with an oil lamp and alarm clock sitting atop it. Opposite the beds, beside the door, was a white wicker chair with a pretty beige cushion on the seat. Another lamp loomed over the chair, probably for reading, judging by the tall wood bookcase that stood beside it. At the sight of the books, she immediately thought of her sister Blossom—she loved to read, and most likely read every book on that shelf during her stay here. She wondered what her other, more athletic sister, Buttercup, had done to occupy her time. Bubbles' baby blue suitcases added a splash of colour in the otherwise virginal space. A wispy white canopy hung over both of the beds like a sky full of fluffy white clouds, and she smiled to herself at the thought of herself pouncing onto the pillows, rolling around in the soft white comforter.

But that would be distasteful, and if her father caught her doing that he'd take her home before she'd even stayed the night. So instead, she dug out her portable speaker, plugged in her iPod, and dragged her biggest suitcase over to the white bureau in the corner and started to carefully place her clothes inside.

Just when she was nearly finished re-folding all of her shirts for the third time, there was a knock on the cracked door.

"Hey honey, I've got to get going." Her father opened the door gently but remained on the outside.

Bubbles paused her music and went over to him. He pulled her into a warm hug and kissed her on the top of her head.

"Behave, okay?" he made her promise. "I know you're the last one I should be telling, but your grandfather isn't the most responsible of people."

Bubbles rolled her eyes, thankful her father couldn't see her face at this angle.

"But he loves you, and you know I do, too." He pulled away and squared her shoulders to face him, looking directly into her eyes. "I don't want you picking up his obscene language, okay? Don't come home if you're going to talk like a hick."

"Daddy," she warned, a small smile creeping its way onto her lips.

"And stay away from those farm boys," he added sternly. "Country boys are nothing but trouble."

"Yes, Daddy, you've told me several hundred times."

It wasn't often that Bubbles was sassy to her father, but when she was, it was very subtle and he didn't usually catch it.

Though she was afraid he might, he didn't seem to notice this time, either, and sighed heavily. "I can't believe you're my last little girl to be staying at Papa's," he said. "I feel old."

"You're not old, Daddy," she lied, patting him on the arm lovingly. "You just think you are because you work yourself to grey hair."

He offered her a tired smile and kissed her forehead again. "Just be good, okay sweetie? Don't get in trouble, and don't do anything Blossom wouldn't do."

She rolled her eyes again, this time making sure to let her father see the gesture. "Great, so you want me to sit inside and read all day," she smiled with an exaggerated moan.

He raised an eyebrow. "You know what I meant."

She nodded though she highly doubted her father disagreed with her statement.

"I love you," he said in a serious tone.

Her eyes widened and the back of her throat began to tickle as she realized that she wouldn't see her father for a week.

"I love you too, Daddy," she whispered, her voice cracking as she buried her face in his chest.

"Call me when you can," he told her as he left, tousling her hair like he used to do when she was a small child.

"Of course."

And just like that, her overbearing, over-protective father was gone. He left her basically on her own, in a big house-slash-mansion, with a grandfather who swore like a sailor and a bunch of potentially attractive boys-slash-men in nothing but jeans and cowboy hats.

Oh yes, this would be an interesting week.

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_Barbecues and pecan pies are almost as good as those sweet, sweet reviews :) xx_


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